


A long goodbye

by blueberryocean



Category: Altered Carbon (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 16:11:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13593702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueberryocean/pseuds/blueberryocean
Summary: The first time she and Elias have sex after him being returned to his sleeve she cries. The next day she makes probably one of the stupidest decisions ever.





	A long goodbye

The first time she and Elias have sex after him being returned to his sleeve she cries. The next day she makes probably one of the stupidest decisions ever. She moves out of their shared home and holes up in some crappy apartment. Kristen lasts two months there before starting to look for him.

She follows rumors and whispers trying to get an idea of where he could be going, where his leader, lover, mentor may be. It’s as painful as she imagined. Visiting the Elliots simply reminds her of who is missing, who should be there at the table.

Three months later she ditches the shit apartment and gets documents for off world travel. She has no idea where she is going, but the restlessness and the questions she have are driving her. Kristen always wants answers. It’s not easy trying to find the last envoy even with her preliminary research. After useless wanderings she decides to search for the woman. The logic is that if both of them are searching for her, she will find him.

It works. Kristen finds his eyes in an unfamiliar body. There is an embrace and a question. She considers lying, telling the truth, but goes with a rueful smile. Working together is invigorating and despairing because she can’t forget what she is helping him do. There are moments where the eyes linger too long, where one of them is injured, or lonely and she thinks they will…but the thought of the woman keeps him focused and she only weeps in the shower. 

Kovacs is able to jump worlds easily, but she declines the sleeves that could be used instead traveling with her pack, catching up. Her mother’s prayers a tug on the code in her body. It happens. They find her, her core, her memory and take her back to where they are staying. She thinks, ‘Kristen, you helped him, now is time to go’. The truth is biting her and torturing her. She knows that he and his lover will have a lifetime together so Kristen settles for a moment. A kiss goodbye to eyes that she treasures and a long road home.

It’s like the year she was gone never happened. The Elliots embrace her and she avoids the awkwardness of watching Elias by moving to another police station. And if her soul is sad she can ignore it (mostly). 

One night Kristen opens her door to an unfamiliar body with the eyes of her tragedy. She has questions and he offers her a rueful smile and a truth, “I love you”.


End file.
